SMOKE-FREE
ST. JOHN -
V.I. POISED
TO BAN ALL
SMOKING
IN PUBLIC
By Mauri Elbel
St. John Tradewinds
Smokers used to lighting up
anywhere on St. John will need to
break their habits after the gover-
nor's likely approval of the Virgin
Islands Smokefree Act.
Members of the 28th Legis-
lature proposed the Bill (No. 28-
0191) banning smoking within
and 20 feet from the entrances of
fully- or partially-enclosed areas
of public spaces and places of em-
ployment in December. It passed
through the legislature on April 15
and it is expected to receive Gov-
ernor John deJongh's backing in
the near future.
The Bill, proposed as the Vir-
gin Islands Smokefree Act, aims
to create smokefree environments
in and around an array of pub-
lic areas spanning from covered
open-air bars and beach pavilions
to outdoor service lines and public
transportation shelters.
Continued on Page 3

St. John Tradewinds News Photos
Courtesy of Brett Seymour
A crew of divers, NPS
officials and camera
technicians captured V.I.
National Park resources
with 3-D high definition
underwater cameras
last week for a movie
featuring submerged
NPS treasures.
Story on Page 5.

Boost your savings!

Scotiabank Rate Booster CD
The only CD in the Virgin Islands with interest rates that increase i P10 50 Countries.
the longer you stay invested! Plus options to cash-out without penalty! BANK 12 Millon utmers.
C( WORLDWIDE 177 Years trong.

2 St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010

St. John Tradewinds News Photo by Jamie Irving

The latest confirmed lionfish netted at Francis Bay was the largest one captured to date
off Love City's shores.

Third Confirmed Lionfish Caught Off

St. John Shores Netted in Francis Bay

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
Confirming fears of a wide-
spread infestation, officals caught
the third confirmed lionfish on
Monday afternoon, April 26, at
Francis Bay.
A sighting of the fish was re-
ported to V.I. National Park offi-
cials on Sunday afternoon, April
25, and VI. Environmental Re-

source Station operation manager
Jamie Irving and Nick Przyusk,
field technician for the University
of San Diego's St. John based sed-
iment monitoring study, found the
animal after just a few minutes of
snorkeling in the area.
Irving and Przyusk netted the
seven-inch fish the largest lion-
fish found to date off St. John -
near the rocks on the Little Maho

side of Francis Bay.
The latest lionfish capture off
Love City's shoreline came as De-
partment of Planning and Natural
Resources scientists, V.I. National
Park officials and volunteers or-
ganize a coordinated territoy- and
Caribbean-wide effort to combat
what has quickly become the big-
gest threat to local reefs.
Continued on Page 16

COPYRIGHT 2010
All rights reserved. No reproduction of
news stories, letters, columns, photo-
graphs or advertisements allowed without
written permission from the publisher.

G~\R

Island Green Builders Awarding 4-Star

Certification to Estate Concordia May 8
The Island Green Building Association will be awarding a
4-Star Tropical Green Building Certification Award to Concordia
Eco-Resort for their four new eco-studios.
An awards ceremony and tour of the studios will be Saturday,
May 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Estate Concordia Preserve (just above
Salt Pond Bay). Refreshments will be served.
The studios use the advanced Eco-Panel building system to
keep hot out air and cool air in, plus specially-glazed windows that
maximize cooling with minimal construction waste.
Other features are site-sensitive construction, recycled building
materials, elevated walkways, water and energy saving fixtures,
solar hot water, wind energy, photo voltaic cells, passive solar de-
sign, native plant landscaping and wildlife management.
All are welcome to attend and learn about innovations in sus-
tainable building. For more information call 693-5855.

Commodore's Cup Race May 8 and 9
All three of the island's yacht clubs are gearing up for the 11th
Annual Commodore's Cup, sponsored by Budget Marine and Cru-
zan Rum, set to sail out of Coral Bay harbor on Saturday, May 8,
and Sunday, May 9.
The race is presented by the St. John Yacht Club, Coral Bay
Yacht Club and Nauti Yacht Club and includes classes in Pursuit,
CSA and PHRF. The skipper's meeting and registration will be
on Friday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Skinny Legs. Racing starts at 10
a.m. on May 8 and May 9 in Coral Bay.

St. John Montessori Open House May 8
The St. John Montessori School is hosting an open house on
Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The school's director Debra Polucci and current parents will be
available for questions and the classroom will be open for informal
tours. Come learn what a Montessori school can offer children.
The school is now enrolling children ages two-and-a-half
through six. St. John Montessori is fully accredited by the Asso-
ciation Montessori International.
Bring the children to make a free gift for Mother's Day. Re-
freshments will be provided. The school is located at the John's
Folly Learning Institute, just before Estate Concordia.
St. John Montessori is currently enrolling students for the fall,
but space is limited. Call 775-9594 for more information.

Devine To Share Results of Cistern

Water Tests at May 10 CBCC Forum
The Coral Bay Community Council will host a forum on Mon-
day, May 10, at 6 p.m. at Sputnik's in Coral Bay which will feature
local cistern drinking water testing results.
Dr. Barry Devine will give a presentation of the water quality
testing results done under the EPA CARE grant with the coop-
eration of residents. Results showed that locally available, easy
to install, water purification systems do work to make the water
drinkable per national testing standards.
More information on these solutions and how to do testing will
also be shared at the meeting. Eckerd College will present their
on-going sedimentation research in Coral Bay.
Julietta's rotis at Sputnik will be available for dinner, if resi-
dents call by noon on the day to order them at 776-6644.
For more information on the program, call the CBCC office at
776-2099.

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 3

Smoke-free St. John V.I. Poised To Ban Public Smoking

Continued from Front Cover
While cities and countries
around the world have enforced
non-smoking laws in public areas
- including the neighboring Brit-
ish Virgin Islands which approved
smoke-free regulations in Novem-
ber 2006 the act has garnered
mixed reviews from those who
live and work on St. John.
"I think it is a great idea," said
Moe Chabuz, owner of Skinny
Legs. "I can't wait for it to be im-
plemented."
The landmark bar and grill in
Coral Bay has its share of smoking
patrons, but Chabuz said he has
seen that number decrease over
the years. After witnessing for-
mer customers and friends die of
smoking-related causes, Chabuz
said he is not too concerned with
whether the smoking prohibition
will affect his business.
"I think it is worth it," he said.
"I am not really worried about it
impacting business."
Others are opposed to the way
the act defines enclosed areas -
"as all space between a floor or
flooring and ceiling or any form of
roofing whether or not enclosed on
all sides by permanent or tempo-
rary walls or windows..." and
say it could negatively impact
business on St. John where open-
air bars and restaurants are the

"I think it is a great idea. I can't wait for it to be implemented."
Moe Chabuz, owner of Skinny Legs

"Besides being a restaurant owner, I am a health teacher at Gifft Hill,
and of course I don't want people to smoke because it is not a healthy
thing. But I definitely think it will have an impact on our business and I
think it will be very confusing at first."
Barbie Barry, health teacher and restaurant/bar owner

norm.
"I think it could impact our
business, especially from the ho-
tel side of things," said Stephanie
King, manager of The Inn at Tam-
arind Court.
King said a large percentage of
Tamarind's bar regulars and Euro-
pean guests are smokers who are
currently allowed to smoke out-
side of their hotel rooms and in the
courtyard's open-air bar.
King is also concerned the act
might encourage people to smoke
on streets and sidewalks where
ashtrays and proper disposal areas
are not readily available like they
are in bars and restaurants.
"I am opposed to the act the
way it is written," she said. "I
agree with banning smoking in en-
closed areas with no open air, but
when you are in open areas with
no walls, I don't understand what

the issue is."
Barbie Barry, owner of Sun
Dog Cafe and Gecko Gazebo, be-
lieves the new laws may be tough
to enforce on St. John because of
its difficult-to-define indoor/out-
door spaces such as the shared
area between her covered bar and
open-air restaurant in Mongoose
Junction.
Though Barry said she supports
the law due to its obvious health
benefits, she thinks enforcing it
would be easier on the island if
each bar and restaurant were as-
sessed individually.
"Besides being a restaurant
owner, I am a health teacher at
Gifft Hill, and of course I don't
want people to smoke because it
is not a healthy thing," said Barry.
"But I definitely think it will have
an impact on our business and I
think it will be very confusing at

AFT Protests Corporal Punishment Ban in Schools

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
Protesting teachers on St. Croix
last week seemed down right fight-
ing mad.
Several teachers and represen-
tatives of the local branch of the
American Federation of Teachers
union gathered outside the Cur-
riculum Center on the big island
on Monday, April 26, to protest
a planned ban of corporal pun-
ishment in the territory's public
schools, according to a report in
the VI. Daily News.
The issue was at the forefront of
a heated debate on Love City last
year between a parent who did not
know of the policy and a St. John
public school administrator who
used corporal punishment more
than once on a child.
Teachers and principals in the
territory's public schools have the

"We've had a couple of incidents that were
most unfortunate and that gave evidence of
the misuse."
Smith-Barry was quoted in The V. DailyNews

authority to hit students under the
V.I. Code. Title 17, chapter 9, sub-
chapter 1, subsection 87 reads, "all
principals and teachers in the pub-
lic schools in the Virgin Islands
shall have the right to exercise the
same authority, as to conduct and
behavior, over pupils attending
their schools during the time they
are in attendance, including the
time required in going to and from
their homes, as parents, guardians,
or persons in parental relation to
such pupils."
The law has been interpreted to
allow principals and teachers the

same authority to discipline as par-
ents, including the use of corporal
punishment.
This year, however, St. Thom-
as/St. John District Superintendent
Janette Smith-Barry has instituted
a policy to ban corporal punish-
ment in the district's school, a
move which AFT representatives
said was illegal.
Since authority to hit students is
included in the VI. Code, Smith-
Barry's policy is in violation of
that law, Vernelle deLagarde, pres-
ident of the St. Thomas/St. John
Continued on Page 16

first."
"To make it simpler, if they
want to enforce this rule, maybe
they should visit each restaurant
and bar and look at the space to
determine an area where your pa-
trons would be allowed to smoke,"
she said.
The smoke-free act requires pro-
prietors to post no smoking signs,
remove matches, cigarettes and
ashtrays, and to ask individuals
they observe smoking in a prohib-
ited area to refrain immediately.
An individual who smokes in a
prohibited area where a no smok-
ing sign is posted, or a proprietor
who fails to take required mea-
sures to prevent smoking, could be
charged with a misdemeanor and
subject to fines.
Bonny Corbeil, St. John liaison
to Senator Louis Patrick Hill, one
of the senators who proposed the

2010 RAIN

DATA

at Trunk Bay

April Rainfall
1.99 inches

Average
April Rainfall
2.44 Inches

Total YTD Rainfall
7.94 Inches

Average YTD
Rainfall
9.48 Inches

bill, said she and the senate presi-
dent support any law that promotes
a healthier Virgin Islands.
"I have never been a smoker,
but I do know it is incredibly toxic
and there is a whole list of reasons
why people shouldn't smoke that is
now supported by scientific facts,"
Corbeil said. "I think anything we
do that directs people into taking
self responsibility for their choices
and the way they impact others is
a positive thing for the Virgin Is-
lands."
Dr. Elizabeth Barot, a staff phy-
sician at Myrah Keating Smith
Community Health Center, said
she has been asking senators for
smoke-free laws before they were
ever considered.
"It's a wonderful thing and I
hope they pass it," she said. "This
is a good thing any smoke you
don't inhale is a good thing."
Barot said second-hand smoke
can be worse for people, especially
asthmatics and children, because
smoke people indirectly inhale can
affect their lungs.
"I think passing this act is good
all around good for the envi-
ronment, for people, for the lungs,
and especially for kids," she said.
"This could positively impact the
heath of the people who don't in-
hale the smoke of others who are
smoking."

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
As V.I. Police Department officials continue their investigation
into Love City's crime spree last week (see related story on this
page), Crime Stoppers USVI St. John board members are hoping
to gain support for the crime fighting program.
Crime Stoppers USVI is a citizens' initiative group which
works with the VIPD and local media to publicize crimes and
offers citizens wary of local police a safe and anonymous avenue
to share information.
"This is a responsive system," said Bonny Corbeil, Crime
Stoppers USVI St. John board member. "We need to start build-
ing trust and communication between the issues and the resolu-
tion. We need more people to understand that Crime Stoppers is
another excellent way to get involved in fighting crime."
Besides calling in to report tips to the anonymous stateside, bi-
lingual hotline workers for possible reward money, residents can
also support Crime Stoppers USVI by joining the group. Mem-
bership dues are used to pay rewards to people whose tips lead to
an arrest or the recovery of stolen property.
"People can call in tips, or just become members," said Cor-
beil. "We need those memberships because that is where the re-
ward money comes from."
Crime Stoppers is the perfect alternative for St. John residents
who might be frustrated with local law enforcement and the group
is bridging a communication with the VIPD, Corbeil added.
"We are a part of a team that is working with the police depart-
ment and we are building a strong infrastructure to make things
better for everyone in the community," she said. "When you hear,
'don't call the police,' that is upsetting. There is progress being
made and this is another way to create solutions."
"You work with the system to change the system," Corbeil
said. "There is a chain of command and if you are not getting
satisfaction, you should follow that chain of command. VIPD St.
John Deputy Chief Foy is the man in charge on St. John and he is
the one who is going to respond."

CRUZ BAY RED HOOK

FREE SKIN SCREENING
EXAMINATIONS
for precancerous or
unidentified skin lesions
April 15th through June 1st, 2010
By appointment only -
JAMES PACE CLAYTON, MD
Einstein University of Medicine, NYC
University of Connecticut
Family Practice, Post Grade Emergency Medicine and Dermatology

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
In the wake of a rash of bur-
glaries in the Estate Upper Caro-
lina section of Coral Bay late last
month, homeowners in the neigh-
borhood are taking proactive steps
to find the perpetrators and deter
future crimes in the area.
After a relatively quiet few
years which saw no major crime
waves in the mostly residential
and vacation home neighborhood,
six burglaries were reported on
Wednesday, April 21, between 1
and 3 p.m. in Upper Carolina. An-
other four burglaries were reported
that same day and during the same
time frame in Estate Hansen Bay
on the East End.
In all of the burglaries, the
suspect or suspects gained entry
to the houses through unlocked
doors or opened windows while
residents were not at home. In
some cases radios, cameras and
computers were stolen along with
food. In other homes, only food
was taken.
In what VI. Police Department
believe to be a message of some
kind, the suspect or suspects have
also left sinks turned on and drains
clogged in their wake.
"This suspect is sending some
kind of message either against the
police department or residents in

"This suspect is sending some kind of
message either against the police department
or residents in the area."
VIPD St. John Deputy Chief Darren Foy

the area," said VIPD St. John Dep-
uty Chief Darren Foy.
The targeted homes included
both long-term residences and
short-term rental units.
About 20 neighbors gathered
to discuss the crimes and plan a
multi-pronged response at an Es-
tate Upper Carolina Land Owners
Association meeting on Monday
night, April 26.
"First of all we determined that
we didn't have enough informa-
tion about the crimes because in-
formation sources were being very
tight about giving things out," said
Gerry Hills, the land owners asso-
ciation president. "We understand
that there is an investigation going
on we are very sensitive to that.
But we had heard a number of
conflicting reports about the num-
ber of incidents."
Hills made several phone calls
to top brass and was able to con-
firm the number and times of the
break-ins.
"I was able to give home own-

ers an accurate report of what oc-
curred and then we decided to do
two things actively as neighbors,"
Hills said.
Having accurate information
eased the minds of some residents
at the Monday night meeting,
many of whom were upset and
concerned, Hills added.
"People who came to the meet-
ing were nervous and upset and
wanted to know what was go-
ing on," he said. "People want to
know what they can do and we
considered some of our options
together."
Residents in Upper Carolina
are committed to ramping up its
dormant neighborhood watch pro-
gram, according to Hills.
"We're going to re-implement
our neighborhood watch pro-
gram," he said. "We're going to go
over the procedures again and get
kits out to people and make sure
everyone knows what to do."
While trying to find out infor-
Continued on Page 16

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
Towering elkhorn coral, intri-
cate mangrove root systems and
brightly colored fish are just a few
of the V.I. National Park's under-
water treasures which will be fea-
tured like never before.
Armed with cutting edge 3-D
underwater camera systems,
National Park Service officials
wrapped up a week and a half of
filming at various sites throughout
VINP waters on Thursday, April
29.
Brett Seymour, A/V production
specialist for the NPS Submerged
Resources Center in Denver, Col-
orado, led the film crew as the
group shot footage for an educa-
tional 3-D film he's producing.
"Underwater Wonders of the
National Park System," will
showcase the submerged treasures
at VINP, Dry Tortugas, Channel
Islands, USS Arizona, Isle Royal
and Yellowstone National Parks.
The film is set to be released in
spring 2011 and will be aired at
NPS sites across the country.
"We're going to build portable
3-D theaters so we can set them
up and then break them down and
take them to the next site," said
Seymour. "We want to air the film
in National Parks around the coun-

try. The whole idea is to educate as
many people students, families
- as possible."
While Seymour has access to
the treasured protected resources
within NPS boundaries, what
he doesn't have is an institution
working on developing and per-
fecting cutting edge custom 3-D
underwater camera systems. Enter
the Massachusetts-based Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution,
with its advanced imaging and vi-
sualization laboratory.
"We develop custom unique
camera systems for clients for a
variety of uses," said Evan Ko-
vacs, field operations and camera-
man for Woods Hole.
Through the partnership with
Woods Hole, NPS officials can
capture incredible imagery of un-
derwater sites and then use the im-
ages to analyze the areas back up
on the surface.
The partnership between Woods
Hole and NPS, also allows the
oceanographic institution to test
its camera systems and continu-
ally perfect its technology.
"We have access to these amaz-
ing natural resources and we have
the dive boats and the docks to
use to get out here and shoot, but
we don't have a million-dollar
lab working on the latest filming

technology," said Seymour. "This
partnership allows us to showcase
our treasures by using the latest
cameras. We need to engage the
youth and show them how impor-
tant these resources are."
"The NPS credo is to protect
these resources for future genera-
tions and we're trying to do that in
a way that is relevant to the next
generation," Seymour said.
The A/V specialist has been
working with 3-D technology for
years, but credited the success of
recent Hollywood blockbuster
films for taking the technology
mainstream.
"I've been doing 3-D for years,
but I couldn't get the kind of bud-
get that I needed before," said Sey-
mour. "Now that everyone sees
what 3-D can produce, it's been a
little easier."
While not his first stint at pro-
ducing, Seymour's "Underwater
Wonders of the National Park Ser-
vice," is his most ambitious film to
date.
"This is the biggest film I've
done in terms of scope," he said.
"We've been filming for about a
year already and we are still go-
ing back to sites. But we've al-
ready done all of the scouting so
we should be finishing this year
Continued on Page 17

Working Out

Strengthens our Lives

Personal Trainers Available
State of the Art Equipment
Group Classes Available

776-0600

~1~3 a~r~0

The St. John Band

R&I PATTON goldsmithlg
Mongoose Junction
776-6548 Chat@pattongold.com

6 St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010

Native Plants Face Numerous Threats, Dr. Gary Ray Tells IGBA Members

By Andrea Milam
St. John Tradewinds
The lush green plants and brightly col-
ored flowers that often decorate the yards
of St. John homes are wreaking havoc on
the island's native plants, Dr. Gary Ray told
the Island Green Building Association at its
Tuesday evening, April 27, meeting at The
Marketplace.
Ray, who has been working on starting up
a native plant nursery for many years, dis-
cussed the pests local plants face and which
native plants can be used in landscaping.
"The Virgin Islands are under direct at-
tack from pests," said Ray.
Ninety percent of all imported plants
come from Florida, home to the leaf skel-
etonizer, a caterpillar which destroys palm
tree leaves. The other 10 percent of import-
ed plants come from Puerto Rico, which has
led to a coqui frog infestation on St. John.
Ray encouraged anyone receiving plants
from Puerto Rico to inspect them closely
for the coqui frog, which first arrived on
St. John after Hurricane Hugo, with a big
shipment of palms from Puerto Rico to the
Westin Resort.
The population of the frogs, which thrive

in moist forest environments, could explode
should they reach Bordeaux Mountain.
"There would be millions of them if they
got up there," said Ray.
Another well-known pest is the Mexican
Snout Weevil, which nearly decimated Love
City's century plants. The weevil arrived
sometime in 2000, and the century plant has
been suffering ever since.
"The eggs are laid inside the plant, and
the larvae eat out the inside," said Ray. "Ev-
ery plant that gets hit with the weevil doesn't
reproduce."
Stem borers, a type of beetle, leave obvi-
ous evidence of their presence. They infect
native boxwood, ironwood and citrus-leaved
fig trees, boring holes and laying their eggs
inside the trees' wood. The larvae then con-
tinue to bore into the wood, Ray explained.
St. John also faces other "pests" in ad-
dition to bugs and frogs. Some aggressive
non-native plant species can easily propa-
gate themselves, occupying hillsides and
forests, edging out native plants.
Some of the biggest threats are posed by
the snake plant, used commonly in local
landscaping; the pencil cactus; neem, used
for natural insect control; ground orchids;

Dr. Gary Ray

and even the Virgin Islands' own state flow-
er, the tecoma stans, also known as yellow
trumpetbush.
There are ways the Virgin Islands can
fight these threats to native plants, accord-
ing to Ray.
"We can solve the problem by banning
certain plants and banning certain sources of
plants," he said. "We haven't even gotten to
square one with our regulations yet. There is
not much regulation in the landscape trade
right now."
Ray is working toward his own solution
with his native plant nursery. He hopes to
build the nursery using only solar electric-

ity, and believes rainfall will provide all the
water he needs for the plants.
"I want to close the energy loop as much
as possible," said Ray.
In the meantime, Ray suggested several
native plants that can be used in local land-
scaping.
Lignum vitae, a popular local tree, is
slow-growing and produces beautiful pur-
ple flowers. Watapama, also a native plant,
bursts with purple flowers for short periods
of time.
Princewood, a native tree in the coffee
family, produces fragrant while flowers,
while the satinwood is "perhaps the most
extraordinary hardwood," said Ray.
"Local artisans have carved fine bowls
from this wood," he said.
Ray also recommended torchwood, an
evergreen tree of the citrus family which the
Tainos used to carry fire; and the ever popu-
lar bay rum tree, whose oil was historically
used on St. John in perfumes, soaps and co-
lognes.
The pink cedar, tyre palm and Jamaica
caper which is very drought tolerant are
also good native plants to use in landscap-
ing.

GifS
heoill
SM861.

'We

We Open

Minds, Hearts

and Doors

Gifft Hill School is now
accepting enrollment applications
for the 2010-2011 school year.

Please visit www.giffthillschool.org
or call 340.776.1730 for more information.

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 7

Community Celebrates 14 Years of

John's Folly Learning Institute Success

JFLI's anniversary celebration was full of song by youth
group students, above, and Calvary Baptist Church chior
members, below

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
About 50 people gathered on the
grounds of the John's Folly Learn-
ing Institute on Saturday morning,
April 24, to celebrate 14 years
since the building was reclaimed
from goats and brush to inspire a
new generation in the island's re-
mote southern neighborhoods.
The former Horace Mann
School had been neglected for
years and became a weed infested
home for goats before Alvis Chris-
tian decided to bring the structure
back from ruin.
After securing a government
lease for the building, Christain
worked tirelessly with a number
of community volunteers to bring
the building up to date with fresh
paint, bright lights, a flourishing
garden, playground and kitchen.
In the 14 years since breath-
ing new life into the building,

Christian and the JFLI board of
directors have offered after-school
homework assistance, summer en-
richment programs and launched
the JFLI Next Generation Youth
Group.
Completing a full circle for the
Horace Mann School, JFLI once
more caters to the minds of St.
John youth as the home of the St.
John Montessori School under di-
rector Debra Polucci.
JFLI is a model program that
shows the youth just how impor-
tant they are, explained Delegate
to Congress Donna Christensen,
who was on hand to celebrate the
school's anniversary.
"I congratulate Alvis for another
year of providing encouragement,
tutoring and training to the chil-
dren at JFLI," said Christensen.
"You are providing strong roots
for the children here to grow and
flourish. These children know that

in this little building on this little
island are the open arms of a lov-
ing community."
The community should thank
Christian for his dedication, which
has kept JFLI active, Christensen
added.
"It is Alvis' dedication and de-
termination that have been the
driving force that keeps these
doors open," said the delegate to
congress. "So thank you Alvis for
all that you do."
Seeing such bright, youthful
faces at JFLI, reminded Senator
at Large Craig Barshinger why he
continues to work toward realizing
alternative energy sources and ad-
ditional recreation facilities.
"It is appropriate that we are
celebrating on Earth Day as we
continue moving toward our goal
of bringing our energy rates down
to 20-cents per kilowatt hour," said
Continued on Page 21

St. John Tradewinds
Captain James Kreglo, of St. Thomas, has been
named a University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader
Award Honoree, an award given by HandsOn Net-
work and the University of Phoenix to 10 outstanding
volunteer leaders in the nation.
The award celebrates the first anniversary of the
landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act,
which authorized the largest expansion of national
service in America in decades. Kreglo will receive
$10,000 to donate to the organization of his choice.
Kreglo's dedication to service stretches back three
decades. He moved to St. John and became a sea cap-
tain and EMT He quickly recognized the need to de-
velop youth into civic leaders.
In 1981, Kreglo, a scout leader with the Boy Scout
Council of the USVI, established the Boy Scout Sea
Explorers program. More than 200 young people
from underserved neighborhoods have participated in
the program and have become environmental stew-
ards of the island chain.
To further engage youth, Kreglo utilized his unique
talents as a fencer and fisherman to train young people
in the athletic, moral and ethical principles empha-
sized by sporting and scouting organizations, which
encourage self-respect and hard work.
Kreglo continues to lead by example. He identifies
unmet needs and mobilizes people and resources to
address critical health, education, and public safety
issues.
He is a volunteer EMT, and a CERT, CPR, First
Aid and Boating Safety Instructor. Kreglo trains resi-

...for an all new cook book.
The MaLinda Media team will be testing recipes for breads, soups, salads,
appetizers, entrees and desserts. If your recipe is chosen for inclusion,
you may be asked to share a day with one of our photographers in your
kitchen making your special recipe.
EMIL YOUR RECI "0)l IP TO: NIIDI t esnW~na~daL

Captain James Kreglo

dents of the Virgin Islands and Florida in CPR, First
Aid and CERT.
Most recently, he initiated the effort to establish the
first Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla on St. John. The
18-member group provides boating safety courses to
the public, educates youth groups on environmental
issues and life jacket use, and provides courtesy boat
inspections. Kreglo currently serves as the US Coast
Guard Auxiliary Division Commander for the Virgin
Islands.
With more than 8,000 hours of service recorded
since 2001, Captain Kreglo has inspired adults and
youth in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida. He has
empowered them to improve their community in sig-
nificant ways by becoming active change agents.
U Urr~~

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
A dozen friends who bonded
over the sounds of bullets whiz-
zing by in Asian rice paddies re-
united on St. John last week and
enjoyed a week of fun and relax-
ation under the tropical sun.
Jim Klas, a member of the 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment, and
his wife first got back in touch
with five other Vietnam veteran
members of the regiment and
their wives about a decade ago.
Since then, the six couples have
vacationed together regularly.
"We were all in the llth Ar-
mored Cavs, third squadron, and
all of us served together between
66 and 67 in Vietnam," said Klas.
"When you leave Vietnam, ev-
eryone says you are going to stay
in touch and you do for a year or
two, but then you just stop re-
ally."
"So we hadn't talked to each
other for years and then our unit
had a reunion in WashingtonD.C.
in 2001 they have a reunion
every year but a few us went
to that and from there we became
really good friends," Klas said.
The llth Armored Cavalry's

Veterans of Vietnam and Cambo-
dia are hosting their 25th annual
reunion this year in Washington
D.C., but the dozen war buddies
decided to have an early mini-re-
union of their own on Love City.
"Before the Washington re-
union in August, a group of us
wanted to come to St. John for a
week and get together and kind
of have our own reunion," said
Klas.
The group hails from Chicago,
Staten Island and Michigan and
last week was the first time they
stayed on St. John.
"We've stopped here before
on cruise trips but we've never
actually stayed on the island,"
said Klas.
The Vietnam veterans were
in good hands, having secured
James Penn's services for thier
island tour.
"We met James Penn about
three years ago when we were on
a cruise and he's set everything
up for us," said Klas.
The group is staying at a luxu-
rious villa and had lined up res-
ervations for boating excursions
and gourmet restaurants during
their St. John vacation.

WESTIN VIRGIN GRAND VILLA OWNERS

/ Are you concerned about rapidly escalating maintenance fees
and special assessments?
/ Are you tired of getting less service for far more money?
/ Are you exasperated by the lack of transparency of
Starwood's management?
/ Are you aware of the loss of resale value because of high
maintenance fees?
/ Are you aware that owners who pay their fees are being
required to pay the unpaid maintenance fees of other
owners?

We are villa owners who want to prevent Starwood from making
more costly changes without required owner consent. We also
want to revise the by-laws, which give Starwood complete control
of the Board of the owners' association until the very last unit is
sold. And we want to elect independent owner representatives to
that Board.

We need the names and e-mail addresses of as many owners as
possible because Starwood won't disclose that information. If you
are interested in obtaining more information or participating, log
on to http://stjohnvirgingrandvillaowners.com/Forum/
or please email Gene Jaspan: CruisingEMJ@gmail.com

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 9

St. John Rotarians Clean-up Jumbie Beach

Renew your Spirits

Rejuvenate your body and relax your mind at the
Westin Workout and Spa

Spa Services Discounts are available to residents of the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with valid ID. ID must be presented when making
appointment. Valid 6/01/09-10/31/09. @Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Westin is the registered trademark of
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.

Rotary Club of St. John celebrated Earth Day by hosting a cleanup of Jumbie
Beach on Sunday, April 25. Seven Rotary members attended and filled two large
garbage bags in just an hour's time.
The club cleans up the beach at least twice a year. The Earth Day 2010 cleanup
participants were Robert Schlessinger, BJ Harris, Doug White, John Fuller, Lee
Fuller, Catherine Fahey and Marti Callies.

St. John Tradewinds
St. John Rescue, Inc.'s newly
elected Board of Directors con-
sists of: Ron Dunford, president;
John Fitzgerald, vice president;
Christine Jordan, secretary; Ann
McCrave, treasurer; and Gilly
Grimes, chief.
Members of the board also ap-
pointed several members to assist
in the daily operation of the orga-
nization to better serve the com-
munity. Appointed members are:
Terry Rogaczewski, assistant chief;
John Fitzgerald, Coral Bay cap-
tain; Jessica Severance, Coral Bay
lieutenant; Rudell Callwood, Cruz
Bay Captain; Dustin Prudhomme,
Cruz Bay Lieutenant/P.I.O; Steve
Slade, marine captain; Ben West,
marine lieutenant; Bob Malacarne,
training officer; and George Cline,
communication officer.
Currently, this all-volunteer or-
ganization has 35 active members
who have a minimum of first re-
sponder qualifications up to that of
registered nurse.

(L to R): St. John Rescue Board of Directors John
Fitzgerald, Ron Dunford, Gilly Grimes, Ann McCrave and
Christine Jordan.

St. John Rescue has been serv-
ing the community for almost
15 years, providing unique res-
cue skills and emergency medi-
cal support to police, fire, EMS,
VITEMA, National Park and US
Coast Guard.
In addition, St. John Rescue
provides frequent first aid and
CPR training for the community.

With three rescue vehicles and one
boat, St. John Rescue responds to
more than 150 incidents per year.
Anyone interested in serving the
community, should contact St John
Rescue for more information.
For further information, please
contact Public Information Officer
Dustin Prudhomme at dustin.prud-
homme@gmail.com.

St. John Rescue Teaches JESS Students First-Aid

Julius E. Sprauve
School students learned
first aid skills late last
month from the island's
finest. Members of St.
John Rescue taught
students the basics of
dressing wounds and
sprains on Thursday,
April 22, at the school.

St. John Tradewinds News
Photos by Tropical Focus

now hire the BESTI

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 11

Hurricane Hole Storm Use Deadline Is May 7

St. John Tradewinds
V.I. Coral Reef National Monu-
ment Superintendent Mark Hard-
grove announced that the VI.
National Park will use the same
procedures to allocate storm moor-
ing berths for the 2010 hurricane
season as was done in 2009.
Boaters are requested to notify
the Park by May 7, 2010 to retain
assigned berths from 2009. If the
Park receives no response, pre-
viously assigned berths will be
placed into a pool of vacant berths
to be allocated through a drawing
to be hosted on Saturday, May 29,
at the VINP visitor center.
Boats must be present in US/
British Virgin Island waters for at

least 50 percent of the hurricane
season 90 days between June 1
and November 30 to be eligible
to retain or secure a berth in the
drawing.
Berths will not be allocated
boats that will be out of the ter-
ritory and want a spot "just in
case." If a vessel is permitted for
a berth and is found to be out of
the territory for more than half of
the season without notifying the
VINP, said boater will forfeit his/
her berth permanently.
However, should a vessel have
a berth and the owner finds that
he/she must leave the territory,
they may notify the VINP and said
berth will remain theirs in subse-

quent seasons, as long as the same
berth allocation system is used.
Boaters wishing to retain a
storm berth may email, or call
Rafe Boulon, at rafeboulon nps.
gov or 693-8950 ext. 224, or Es-
ther Francis at 693-8950 ext. 232,
before May 7, 2010.
Persons making such requests
will receive a 2010 application
form, which must be filled out and
returned via mail, email, fax or in
person. The initial contact will se-
cure a berth for 2010.
Should anyone know of a boat-
er who had a permit for 2009 and
who does not have email, please
help them by informing them of
this procedure.

Chelsea O'Brien Donates Waga Design

St. John Tradewinds
The Animal Care Center of St. John has selected the
graphic design to be featured for this year's Wagapa-
looza.
ACC President Diana Ripley and Waga co-chairwom-
en, Monica Munro and Karin Schlesinger, have named
graphic designer Chelsea O'Brien as the artist whose
work will be reproduced on the Waga tees for 2010,
which marks the event's 10th anniversary.
The T-shirt design features a procession of happy, tail-
wagging dogs as well as the event name and anniversa-
ry. The tail-wagging design complements the design of
ACC's unique Waga Meter which measures audience re-
ception of the various dog show categories. T-shirts will
shortly be for sale at the ACC shelter and during Waga.
This is not the first time that O'Brien has donated art-
work to the ACC. In 2008, her design for Christmas for
the Animals was featured on posters, tickets, and used
for general publicity. That design reflected the fundrais-
er's "roaring twenties" theme.
Wagapalooza 2010 will be on Saturday, May 22, from
5 to 9 p.m. at the Winston Wells ball field in Cruz Bay.
Bring the whole family out for some fun.

Join us for dinner from now until
July 4, choose two of our best entrees
from the menu below for just $25.

By Jaime Elliott
St. John Tradewinds
One St. John dog recently earned a Canine Good
Citizen certificate from the American Kennel Club
after completing a five week course and scoring 100
percent on a skills test.
Finnious, Finn, Chris and Elsa Angel's mixed-
breed coconut retriever, was the lone dog to pass the
difficult test out of five who tried their paws at it.
Taught by Paul Jordan, Animal Care Center of St.
John board member and education chairperson, and
part time resident Laurie Keith, the Canine Good Citi-
zens' class the first offered on St. John was a
hit.
A total of nine dogs started out in the program, four
of whom dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Out
of the five dogs which completed the course, Finn
was the only dog to demonstrate its mastering of all
of the needed skills.
"There are 10 skills the dogs have to show and they
have to pass each one," said Jordan. "If the dog fails
just one of the skills, they don't pass the test. They
have to have 100 percent."
The most difficult portion of the Canine Good Citi-
zen test is having the dog sit and stay for three full
minutes, according to Jordan.
"Sitting and staying for a three minute period is
the most difficult part of the test," he said. "All of the
dogs in the class were considered puppies and most of
them were over exuberant. They wanted to jump up
and greet people and run to people and greet them and
if they are over exuberant they can't pass."
The dogs which didn't pass the test will be able

to try their paws at it again during ACC's funky dog
show and main fundraiser Wagapalooza on May 22.
Since the canine class consisted of all puppies, Jor-
dan is considering starting a Star Puppy Class next
year, he added.
"We'll definitely offer this class again and I think
we could bring the Star Puppy Class too if there is a
demand," Jordan said.
As a result of the class, Jordan is also hoping to
bring an AKC Agility course to St. John.
"A lot of people were interested in an AKC sport
called agility which is a competition for jumping
through hoops, weaving between poles, walking on a
teeter-totter and running through a tunnel," said Jor-
dan. "If anyone else is interested in this we could look
into building an agility course for dogs."
"It's for seeing how agile the dogs are getting
through the course," Jordan said. "The owners don't
have to jump through hoops, just the dogs."
Another dog owners' desire which arose at Jor-
dan's class is the need for a dog park, where island
pups could socialize.
"We're talking about the possibility of having a dog
park on St. John that would be available for people to
socialize their dogs on a scheduled basis," he said. "A
lot of people don't socialize their dogs and that's why
they are so exuberant. They want to play and run and
jump and they want to greet other dogs."
"Socialization is a great thing for dogs and for dog
owners," Jordan said.
Anyone interested in an agility course, upcoming
canine classes or a dog park should call Jordan at 513-
3703.

St. John Tradewinds
Two St. John painters and the
talented glass blowers from Maho
Glass will be featured at an open-
ing reception at Bajo el Sol Gal-
lery on Friday May 7, from 5 to 8
p.m.
Stop by and check out new
works by Karen Samuel and Lisa
Etre, and see the continually
emerging quality glass art from
Maho Glass.
Samuel and Etre are both rec-
ognized for their art and for their
giving back to their community.
Samuel, recognized as both an ac-
complished artist and seamstress,

will unveil new works that include
her special talent at capturing the
people of St. John.
Etre, a long time resident of the
island, spends much of her time
giving back to her community as
head of the art department at Ivan-
na Eudora Kean High School. Part
of Etre's outreach includes inviting
visiting artists to share their talents
with her students.
Both Etre and Samuel will de-
light viewers with their paintings
of people and their island environ-
ment. Color is also a definite as-
pect of the glass sculpture created
by the talented artists of Maho

Glass.
Art derived from glass is not a
new concept, and art derived from
recycled glass has grown to recog-
nizable value due to the talented
artists at Maho Bay Glassworks.
Working in tandem, they create
exciting pieces in many shapes,
sizes and colors.
Bajo el Sol Gallery's regular
hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Saturday and
noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The gallery
is located in Mongoose Junction.
The artists will be featured during
the month of May. For more infor-
mation call 693-7070.

CENSUS 2010 US VIRGIN ISLANDS

EVERYBODY COUNTS

EDUCATION
PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS
CRIME FIGHTING
HEALTH CARE
How we do in the census
affects how we all do
in the next 10 years.
Federal programs will be
based on the population
numbers from the census.
Everybody counts.

Census

2010
U.S. Virgin
Islands
IT'S OUR FUTURE

When you get your Census questionnaire, fill it out and hold on to it.
A Census taker will come and collect it. DO NOT MAIL THE QUESTIONNAIRE.

YOUR ANSWERS ARE CONFIDENTIAL
AND PROTECTED BY US LAW.

14 St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010

Letters to St. John Tradewinds

Beat the Kids?
Beat the kids, it helps them learn.
Teachers on St. Thomas, "America's Paradise," are on strike be-
cause the new [Department of Education] superintendent has made a
rule that they cannot beat the students.
They must have gotten beaten when they were kids, and think that
it made them better people. Could that be the reason that the schools
have such a high drop out rate?
Greg Miller

Don't Miss Sis Frank's 86th Birthday
In case your readers missed last week's issue, there will be a do-
nor's recital at St. John School of the Arts to celebrate Sis Frank's
86th birthday, tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4, from 6 to 7 p.m.
We hope that all of St. John will come to the school with a contri-
bution of as little as $8.60, $86, $860 or $8,600, or any amount you'd
like to contribute, to have a piece of cake and honor a real St. John
icon.
There'll be a short entertainment by some students and a chorus of
"Happy Birthday" from all of us sung to Sis. Let's make this a "stand-
ing room only" party. Our goal is to raise a mighty cheer that she'll
always remember.
So stand up for Sis, the "birthday girl." RSVP to 779-4322. We
hope you'll be there.
Ronnie Lee
for Board of Directors
St. John School of the Arts

ISLAND NOTES
from the publisher

Sincerest sympathies to Neko Sprauve's
family and friends during this difficult time.
May Neko find peace, comfort and share his
love of steel pan music in heaven. MN

At a Property Tax rally on Monday night, April 12,
the Lt. Governor's Chief of Staff, Mr. Williams, chas-
tised St. John residents for spreading rumors and misin-
formation because it was absolutely, positively, not true
that the government was planning on selling Property
Tax bills to third parties.
On Wednesday, less than 48 hours later, the legisla-
ture met to vote on Governor deJongh's request (dated
March 4) to "Authorize the sale of the 2007 Fiscal Year
Real Property Tax Receipts" to either public or private
companies.
This means a private company could own the 2007
Property Tax Receivables, and if the taxes are not paid
or are late, they would be able to do whatever the law
permits them to do to collect their money, including
putting a lien on your property and even foreclosing on
your land or house.
The VI Unity Day Group testified at the legislature
against sale of Property Taxes. During the session the
Governor's spokespeople insisted at various times that:
1) they really didn't plan on selling the taxes; 2) they
only meant to use the taxes as collateral; 3) the section
involving Property Taxes would be deleted from the bill;
4) they found a cheaper way to borrow money which
didn't involve Property Taxes at all; 5) they would make
sure the contract with the private company would not
permit foreclosures.
In spite of all those explanations and promises, the
bill was tabled with the words unchanged, "the Gov-
ernor may offer, by public or private sale, the Govern-
ment's real property receipts collected for Fiscal Year
2007."
This bill is going to be voted by the senate this Tues-
day, May 4. If you do not want a private company in
the position of taking away Virgin Island property please
call/fax/email the senators and tell them to delete all
references to the sale of Property Taxes from Bill 28-
0227.
Virgin Islanders losing their land and homes is too

Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-
body scanners at the airports.
Have a booth that you can step into that will not
X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you
may have on you.
It would be a win-win for everyone, and there
would be none of this crap about racial profiling and
this method would eliminate a long and expensive
trial. Justice would be quick and swift. Case closed!

The staff and families of St. John Montessori
School would like to thank the following individuals
for their time, talents and support in making our First
Annual Fish Fry Festival a great success:
Peter Alter; Annie Caswell; Pat and Bill Fisk; Jen-
nifer Garland; Joyce and Ed Hrebek; Ingrid and Pete
Iwuc; Sue Littlefield; Chef MJ; Larry Reagan; Sara
Stevens and Tyrone. We also would like to thank the

This is so simple that it's brilliant. I can see it now:
you're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled
explosion.
Shortly thereafter an announcement comes over
the PA system, "Attention standby passengers we
now have a seat available on flight number..."
Works for me!
Submitted by
Z. Hruza

following businesses: Aqua Bistro; Big Ben Deli;
Dana of Carolina Corral; Lily's Gourmet; Miss Lu-
cy's; Mumbo Jumbo; Skinny Legs; St. John Brew-
ers; St. John Whack-a-doos; Sun Times; St. John
Tradewinds; and special thanks to our sponsor, Aqua
Bistro and to any of those we forgot to mention.
Debra Polucci
Director, St. John Montessori School

Governor Selling Property Taxes to Third Parties

Airport Solution

St. John Montessori School Thanks Supporters

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 15

Senator.at*Large

Reports

By Senator Craig Barshinger

The Borrowing Bill
and Coral Bay's Central Park

St. John Tradewinds
Recent weeks have been busy on the legislative
front. Fortunately I also had time to attend some of
the wonderful Carnival events on St. Thomas, and
even managed to read to 3rd grade students at the Ju-
lius E. Sprauve School. It has been a good and pro-
ductive April.
The governor has submitted bill 28-0227 to the
legislature to authorize borrowing of $250 million in
additional bonds.
In addition, this bill contains language that appears
to authorize the government to sell the VI "property
tax receipts" to an outside party, by public or private
sale. A sale of property tax receivables is absolutely
unacceptable, and the ambiguous language will be
stricken from the bill. St. John was well-represented
by Myrtle Barry and other members of the Unity Day
Group, who spoke compellingly on the subject.
As you know, I introduced legislation at the previ-
ous session which threw out the exorbitant 2006 tax
bills, and replaced them with the 1998 amounts. This
was a major victory for St. John residents. Expect the
revised bill to come out in June.
After the April 14 meeting I wrote an open letter to
the media, expressing my concerns about borrowing.
I am willing to borrow just the amount necessary to
get us through the recession.
But that means that we need see accurate financial
reports, and must rein in government spending. I see
considerable waste, and now is the time to adjust the
way we run our government. Many people have been
calling my offices and stopping me on the street to
talk.
I know that our people do not want to borrow huge
sums in order to keep the government running in the
same way it does now.
On Tuesday, the legislature will be in session again
to further consider the borrowing bill. We took a few
weeks to study the issue in depth. We brought in union
representatives, who told us that they don't want to
borrow recklessly.
The union representatives told us that they have
specific suggestions on how to cut government spend-
ing. We plan to meet with them, and the governor's
financial team, in order to implement cost-saving
measures. Please weigh in on this issue by calling our
office at 693-8061 or emailing to senator@barshinger.
net.
We may soon have a new territorial park in Coral
Bay, if my colleagues concur. I have introduced legis-
lation to purchase over 170 acres offered by Sheldon
Marsh, grandson of the late Egbert Marsh.
Most of the purchase price would be paid by a con-
servation organization, with the balance coming from

the VI government. If we want this land, the heirs to
the Egbert Marsh trust have made it clear that they
will work with us to make it possible to purchase the
land.
I envision this park as being Coral Bay's "Central
Park." New York City has a large, beautiful Central
Park that was put in place before the city grew up
around it.
Central Park is New York City's treasure. Let us
have the foresight and vision to create a beautiful
public area in Coral Bay, so that as the town grows,
we will always have some shared land for all of us to
enjoy.
And how can we enjoy it? I invite you share your
vision! Here are some of the benefits and amenities
that we may consider: recreational facilities for our
youth, and in fact all of us; nature trails for walking;
bicycling paths that are flat and easy to ride on; trails
for horseback rides; or a community garden where
food can be grown.
In order to succeed with this, we must activate our
own territorial park system, which has not been ac-
tive in the past. However, we have shown through the
Magen's Bay Authority that Virgin Islanders can run
a public facility in excellence, and that is just what we
will do on St. John.
I was honored to accept an invitation from Ms.
Brown to read to her 3rd grade students at Julius E.
Sprauve School during the Week of the Young Child
and Poetry Month. It was such fun.
We read together an Ananse Tale, "The Owl and
the Pussycat," and "The Secret." In fact, we passed
"The Secret" around the room, and the 3rd graders
read to me and to each other. I was very impressed
with these students and the teaching that Ms. Brown
is providing our students!
In closing, I would like to thank Ezio Marsh and
John Foster. Both worked closely with Brigadier Gen-
eral Charles Blair, who founded Antilles Airboats.
These seaplanes connected St. John, St. Thomas, and
St. Croix for many years until the fleet was destroyed
in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo.
Ezio and John came to me with idea of sponsoring
a resolution to honor Charles Blair by naming the St.
Thomas Seaplane terminal for him. They were sup-
ported in this effort by General Blair's widow, movie
star Maureen O'Hara-Blair. After months of research
and hard work, this resolution passed the legislature
on April 14.
I am frequently asked about restoring the seaplane
service to St. John. My response is that anything is
possible, when there is sufficient public interest. Call
our office at 693-8061 or emailto senator@barshinger.
net to discuss this or any other issue.

ILETIS HELP DAN!
BENEFIT AT HIGH TIDE
F MAY 8TH, 9-12 PM
LIVE MUSIC!

SSt. John resident, Dan Feltman, was injured while play- -
ing flag football for the Boondocks. His injuries essen-
Stially destroyed his knee. He is going to be out of work I
for at least 6 months and has a lengthy recovery in front
of him.

Dan's family have been influential members of our com-
munity for the last 30 years and are now faced with an
incredible financial burden. Medical expenses have ex-
Sceeded 120,000 and the insurance coverage by Parks & f
Recreation only covers S 1,0001

This is why we come to you. We are asking for dona-
tions of goods and/or services to help cover the differ-
Sence. The St. John Revolving Fund is assisting Dan with I
your tax deductible donations.

SFor more details involving Dan's well being or donations, I
Please contact Lucas Schnell (340) 344-2700 orJen Mer-
riett (281) 796-0338. Donations may also be dropped off
at Connections, provided they are labeled. Thank you
for your support. P
t3 tP
******************

7:10 a.m. An Estate Belle-
vue resident c/r a break in at the
Gifft Hill School.
12:30 p.m. A St. Thomas
resident p/r that he was assault-
ed by a male. Simple assault.
Tuesday, April 27
8:45 a.m. A visitor p/r that
a laptop was stolen from her
villa. Burglary in the third.
9:55 a.m. A citizen p/r that
her windshield was damaged
by road workers in Estate Grun-
wald. Damage to a vehicle.
No time given An Estate
Carolina resident c/r being in-
volved in a verbal altercation
with her boyfriend. Disturbance
of the peace, threats.
Wednesday, April 28
11:45 a.m. An Estate
Contant resident r/ that he
was threatened by another
male. Disturbance of the pace,
threats.
1:45 p.m. A St. Thomas
resident p/r that someone took
three of his vehicle batteries.
Grand larceny.
3:54 p.m. An Estate Caro-
lina resident c/requesting po-
lice assistance because she
suspected that someone broke
into one of her homes. Police
assistance.
6:09 p.m. A visitor r/ a bur-
glary at Virgin Grand Estates.
Burglary in the third.
Thursday, April 29
6:30 p.m. An Estate Pas-
tory resident p/r that her house
was broken into. Burglary in
the third.
7:14 p.m. A Coral Bay resi-
dent r/ a disturbance. Distur-
bance of the peace.

Third Confirmed Lionfish Netted at Francis Bay

Continued from Page 2
As evidenced in the Bahamas,
lionfish are capable of wiping out
huge populations of reef fish -
vital to the health of coral in a
very short amount of time.
Scientists believe the fish first
entered the Atlantic Ocean in the
wake of 1998's Hurricane Andrew
when a pet owner likely dumped a
fish tank into the sea off the coast
of Florida.
Since then, the species has dev-
astated coral reefs fringing the Ba-
hamas and scientists fear the same
fate for much of the reefs in the

Caribbean, where lionfish have no
natural predators.
To combat the spread of the li-
onfish, scuba divers, dive opera-
tors and scientists throughout the
U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin
Islands and Pureto Rico are joining
forces to eliminate the species.
DPNR hosted a meeting in Cruz
Bay with dive officials last week to
share the latest information about
the species and distribute markers
for swimmers to deploy after spot-
ting a lionfish.
Made of a wine cork connect-
ed by a line of flagging tape to a

weight, the lionfish markers are
simple and have proven to be an
efficient way to pinpoint an exact
sighting of the species, since a fish
will often remain in the same vi-
cinity for days.
With highly toxic spines, lion-
fish can seriously injure a swim-
mer unfamiliar with the proper
technique for its capture. Lionfish
markers are available at Friends of
V.I. National Park Store and offi-
cials urge swimmers and snorklers
unfamiliar with the species to use
the markers and steer clear of the
fish itself.

AFT Protests Corporal Punishment Ban in Schools

Continued from Page 3
AFT local 1825, told the VI. Daily
News last week.
Citing the need to end the prac-
tice of corporal punishment in dis-
trict public schools, Smith-Barry
told the newspaper that it had been
misused in several cases.
"We've had a couple of inci-
dents that were most unfortunate
and that gave evidence of the mis-

use," Smith-Barry was quoted in
the V.I. Daily News.
"She said there was one instance
where a teacher was taping three
rulers together to hit the students
with," according to the V.I. Daily
News report. "In another case, a
teacher lined up all the students
and went down the line, beating
each student for no justifiable rea-
son, she said."

DeLagarde, however, told the
paper that the practice was nec-
essary to maintain control in the
classroom.
"There's no assistance or fol-
low-through in a lot of cases," she
told the VI. Daily News.
V.I. Board of Education offi-
cials are expected to look into the
matter, as its policy reflects the VI.
Code.

Upper Carolina Ramping Up Neighborhood Watch

Continued from Page 4
mation about the crimes, the Up-
per Carolina Land Owners Associ-
ation president also made contact
with Crime Stoppers USVI St.
John board member Bonny Cor-
beil and learned about the pro-
gram, Hills added.
"We're hoping to participate
more or better in Crime Stoppers
as well," he said. "We're going to
make everyone in Upper Carolina
aware of Crime Stoppers and we'll
get more information out there."

Upper Carolina residents are
also considering posting reward
money and contracting a security
firm, Hills added.
"We're looking at two major
options," he said. "We may post
a reward for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of the
individual. We still have to have a
board meeting to vote on it and ap-
prove it."
"If we decided to post a reward
it will be payable by us and be in
addition to any reward payable by

Crime Stoppers USVI," said Hills.
"We are also looking at contacting
a security firm in terms of having
some kind of surveillance equip-
ment installed."
Anyone with any information
regarding the Upper Carolina bur-
glaries or any crimes on St. John
is urged to call Crime Stoppers
USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477),
or check out the group's website
at www.CrimeStoppersUSVI.org,
for full information about anony-
mous tips and reward procedures.

Help Crime Stoppers USVI Solve Crimes of the Week

St. John Tradewinds
Crime Stoppers is asking the
community's help to solve the
following crimes. Anyone who
knows something, should say
something.
A rash of daylight burglar-
ies has occurred in the areas of
Estates Carolina and Hansen
Bay. Items stolen include food
and electronics, such as radios,
cameras, computers etc. The
burglar(s) are cooking and eating
while inside, and then turning on

all water faucets before leaving.
Anyone who has seen any suspi-
cious persons or vehicles in the
area, please call immediately.
Community members can
submit tips on these or any other
crimes at www.CrimeStopper-
sUSVI.org or by calling 1-800-
222-TIPS (8477). Tips are
completely anonymous, and the
stateside operators are bilingual.
If a tip leads to an arrest or the
recovery of stolen property, il-
legal drugs, or weapons, the tip-

ster receives a cash reward to be
paid according to their instruc-
tions. Only anonymous callers to
Crime Stoppers are eligible for
these cash rewards. Please note
that technology makes it virtual-
ly impossible for anyone to trace
a tip. To learn how it works, visit
www.CrimeStoppersUSVI.org.
Anyone who submitted a tip,
should check to see if they are el-
igible for a reward, as unclaimed
rewards expire six months after
the award date.

St. John Tradewinds, May 3-9, 2010 17

Underwater Wonders Film To Be Released Spring

Continued from Page 5
and have the film ready by next
spring."
At VINP, Seymour's crew
filmed elk horn coral off Hawk-
snest Bay, mangroves at Hurri-
cane Hole, coral and fish off Wa-
terlemon Cay and more.
"Here we are really trying to
showcase the diversity of the
VINP," said Seymour. "We're try-
ing to show all that there is here,
from the mangroves to the coral
and fish and turtles"
Out of everything he saw dur-
ing his dives around St. John, Sey-
mour was most impressed with the
elk horn coral at Hawksnest.
"I've never seen elk horn coral
before and it's pretty neat stuff
and it's endangered," he said. "If
we don't protect elk horn coral my
kids or the next generation won't
know what it is because it won't
be here."
Kovacs was most dismayed by
the damaged coral evident at vari-
ous VINP sites.
"You can see some of the cor-
al that suffered from disease and
bleaching and that is pretty de-
pressing," said Kovacs. "You can
see how fragile everything is and
how important it is to protect what
we can.
The crew worked with several
divers under the surface captur-
ing shots, as other crew members
monitored the footage and tweaked

St. John Tradewinds News Photo Courtesy of Brett Seymour

Snorkelers get an upclose look at an elk horn coral off
St. John.

focus and lighting at a con
center on the dive boat.
All VINP dive boats we
small to accommodate the

a r- e PC

S

I

I

1

n w -

'Copyrighted Material,

SSyndicated Content

Available from Commercial News Provide

__ S*

I "

nmand center so officials contracted Lar-
ry Randall of Dive Adventures of
;re too St. John. Randall's dive boat was
control the perfect transportation and con-
trol center for the film crew with
plenty of room for the cutting edge
equipment.
Divers were underwater for
about eight hours a day during the
12-hour work days that stretched
over a week and a half. During
the shoots, the group worked with
various park officials including
VINP resource manager Thomas
Kelley.
VINP officials were thrilled to
be among the selected sites for
Seymour's new film.
"It's great that they selected us
!rS to be a part of this project," said
VINP's Chief of Resource Man-
agement Rafe Boulon. "We didn't
know what to expect at first and
Then 36 boxes of camera equip-
ment showed up so we knew it
was serious."
After wrapping filming in VINP,
officials were off to the Dry Tortu-
gas before heading back stateside
to complete their shot list.

landscaping

r e s t a u r a n t
open 7 days a week
693.7755 or www.latapastjohn.com

St. John Tradewinds welcomes notices of community-orient-
ed, not-for-profit events for inclusion in this weekly listing. Call
776-6496, e-mail editor(,tradewinds.vi or fax 693-8885.

May 6-7
The 10th Virgin Islands Non-
point Source Pollution Confer-
ence will be May 6 and 7 at the
Wyndam Sugar Bay Resort and
Spa on St. Thomas.
Saturday, May 8
The St. John Montes-
sori School is hosting an Open
House on Saturday, May 8,
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Island Green Build-
ing Association will host an
awards ceremony and tour of
the studios will be on Saturday,
May 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Es-
tate Concordia Preserve (just
above Salt Pond Bay).
May 8 and 9
The llth Annual Commo-
dore's Cup, sponsored by Bud-
get Marine and Cruzan Rum,
is set to sail out of Coral Bay
harbor on Saturday, May 8, and
Sunday, May 9.
Monday, May 10
The Coral Bay Community
Council will host a forum on
Monday, May 10, at 6 p.m. at
Sputnik's in Coral Bay which
will feature local cistern drink-
ing water testing results.
Sunday, May 16
Join Friends of V.I. National

Park on Sunday, May 16, at
8:30 a.m. at Maho Bay beach
for a practice swim for the
Beach-to-Beach Power Swim,
which is on Sunday, May 30.

Saturday, May 22
Wagapalooza 2010 will be
from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Winston
Wells ball field in Cruz Bay on
Saturday, May 22.
May 28-29
The 45th Annual Women's
Convention will be on Friday,
May 28, with a march from the
Cruz Bay park to the church
starting at 6:15 p.m. A service
at St. Ursula's Church will fol-
low the march at 7 p.m. On
Saturday, May 29, the group
will host its conference at the
Westin Resort and Villas start-
ing at 7 a.m.
Sunday, May 30
The Friends of the VINP's
7th Annual Beach-to-Beach
Power Swim is Sunday, May
30.
Monday, May 31
The Fifth Annual Javon J.
Alfred Fun Day will be on
Monday, May 31, at the Win-
ston Wells ball field from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m.

Alcholics Anonymous Meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous meets as scheduled: Sundays, 9:45
a.m. at Hawksnest Bay Beach; Closed meeting for alcoholic
only at Nazareth Lutheran Church at 5:30 on Tuesdays; Open
meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. at
Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay; Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Moravian Church, Coral Bay.

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings
Narcotics Anonymous has open meeting from 6:30 to 7:30
p.m. every Saturday at St. Ursula's Church.

Al-Anon Meetings
Al-Anon meets on St. John every Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the
picnic table at the VINP ball field, and every Thursday at 5:30
p.m. at St. Ursula's Multi-purpose center.

Alateen Meetings
Alateen will meet on Mondays at St. Ursula's Church from
6 to 7 p.m. and is open to anyone interested in attending.

45th Annual Women's Convention
at St. Ursula's May 28 and 29
St. Ursula's Episcopal Church will celebrate the
45th Annual Women's Convention on Friday, May 28,
with a march from the Cruz Bay park to the church
starting at 6:15 p.m.
A service at St. Ursula's Church will follow the
march at 7 p.m. On Saturday, May 29, he group will
host its conference at the Westin Resort and Villas
starting at 7 a.m. For more information call Cleamena
Duncan at 776-6964 or 776-6336.

Javon Jade Alfred Memorial
Fun Day Scheduled for May 31
The Fifth Annual Javon J. Alfred Fun Day will be
on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, at the Winston
Wells ball field from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The entire community is invited to join in fun,
games and food. The Fun Day commemorates Dever-
ell Alfred's son "JJ" who was struck by a truck and
killed on his way home from school on Christmas Eve
five years ago.
The Alfreds need donations of money, games, toys,
refreshments and more to make the day a success. Stop
by St. John Tradewinds office on the third floor of The
Marketplace to make a donation, or call 776-6496 or
email info @ttradewinds.vi.
"It's important to spend time with family because if
something tragic happens, you will feel like you took
advantage of all the time that you had," said Deverell
Alfred.

St. John Festival Committee
Seeks Miss St. John Contestants
The Festival and Cultural Organization of St. John
is seeking young ladies interested in vying for the title
of Miss St. John Festival Queen 2010-2011.
Contestants must be 16 to 21 years of age, have a
2.5 academic average, a resident of the St. Thomas/
St. John district and never been pregnant. Interested
young ladies can pick up applications at the St. John
Tourism Office.
For more information call 626-0785.

Last Beach-to-Beach Power
Swim Practice Set for May 16
Join Friends of V.I. National Park on Sunday, May
16, at 8:30 a.m. for a practice swim before the big
Beach-to-Beach Power Swim race, which is on Sun-
day, May 30.
Meet at Maho Bay beach at 8:30 a.m. and swim
the short course portion of the race to Cinnamon (ap-
proximately 1 mile). Swim assisted with fins, mask,
snorkel or swim unassisted, just come swim. Safety
boats will be in the water for support.
To register for the swim visit www.friendsvinp.org/
swim or call the Friends office at 340-779-4940 for
more information and to register.

Get a Tan and a Paycheck!
Full time, part time, lots of benefits, free scuba,
snorkeling, sailing trips to the BVI, etc. Growing
watersports company has immediate openings:
Beach Attendants at Westin Resort
Retail Store Staff
PADI Instructors

Continued from Page 7
Barshinger. "We're talking about renewable
energy now, using what we have plenty of
- the wind and the sun."
Barshinger also continues to work with
his colleagues and the Egbert Marsh Trust to
secure 170 acres in Estate Lower Carolina
to create a territorial park.
"We could do things better than the VI.
National Park, instead of waiting around for
them to do things," said the senator at large.
"We could have a friendly competition be-
tween us to be the best park possible."
JFLI students Natalie, Nicole and Travis
Dalmida, Cassandra Mathurin and Whitney
Smith acted out a skit about Guy Benjamin,
the former educator after whom Coral Bay's
public elementary school is named.
Benjamin himself, who was in atten-
dance, approved of the skit, except for one
small omission.
"You forgot to say how much I love
dominos," said Benjamin. "If anyone wants
to come down and get in a game, then stop
by."
JFLI's success is due to the support of the
entire community, Christian explained.
"This is all only possible because of each
and every one of you make it possible," said
Christian. "You were here when we didn't
have any windows or doors and you are here
now. I am thankful that you are here and I
want you to join me further along this jour-
ney."

St. John Tradewinds News Photo by Adam Lynch

JFLI founder Alvis Christian

Christian shared plans with the crowd for
JFLI's expansion to accommodate a full ma-
rine biology lab and additional gardens and
educational opportunities.
JFLI students are planning a summer trip
to Puerto Rico where they will tour numer-
ous parks and museums. The group is still
raising funds for the trip and is planning a
pig roast and fish fry on Saturday, May 8, at
the school.

www.remax-islandparadiserealty.com email: info@remaxipr.com
Thinking of selling your property? RE/MAX, with its nationwide recognition, offers you more exposure
than any other company. Let our team of professionals work for you to bring the results you are looking for.

ST. JOHN TRADEWINDS SUBSCRIPTIONS
Call 340-776-6496 We Accept VISA or MasterCard

F -- FAT I/

I

/r"rz`~
Rti//MWi

.0

WSfS1

"Privater Point" Own the
entire 14 ac. peninsula Unlim-
ited views to the BVI from
Tortola to Norman Island to the
east & Privaleer Bay to the
west. Located within The Point
At Privateer St. John's newest
upscale subdivision with
minimum 1 acre lots, paved
roads & underground utilities.
Privacy & pristine beauty for the
perfect hideaway. $9.15M
"Home
End ha
to St. C
site for
solar p
access

"Rldgetop"-NEW- A 2 story. 2
bedroom private vacation rental
nestled in the hills overlooking
Coral Bay. Located in Eden
Place, a small private neighbor-
hood, it is an easy drive to the
island's beautiful beaches,
hiking trails, restaurants &
entertainment. A shared poo &
gazebo are located adjacent to
the house and are used by only
4 other homes. $695,000

Port" This new listing in Estate Hansen Bayon St. John's quiet East
s terific views north over Long Bay, west to Rams Head and south
roix. The cottage is on lower section of large lot with a large. level
a main house above Other features include end of the road privacy,
ower & mature plants wilh drip watering system, Deeeded water
also included. $675,000

"Amrita" Beautiful, masonry home in upscale Chocolate Hole North has
large pool deck with spa faces southeast to catch the tradewind breezes.
Water views of Hart Bay & the South Shorejust minutes from Cruz Bay & a
short walk tothe Westin Resort. Features include stone arches and vaulted
cypress ceilings, screened gallery, arched courtyard entrance, fruit trees, &
deeded access to two beaches. Just reduced to $899,000
"The Retreat" Perfect privacy & spectacular ocean views lie at the heart
of "The Retreats" natural appeal, Its 3 pavilions on one level are grouped
around a beautifully landscaped courtyard with swimming pool and jetted hot
tub. Every room enjoys an ocean view a sparkling panorama of Sir Francis
Drake Channel, with Tortola beyond. Two equal, air-conditioned king
bedroom/bath suites with sleeping lofts lank the main llving/dining pavilion.
O- The waterfront is accessed via trail to a private, sandy beach. $1.595M
"Colibri" -Superb sunset and water views from this 3 bedroom waterfront
home in the coveted Great Cruz Bay sub division. Features include native
stonework, large pool deck wilh gazebo, masonry construction, air
conditioning, water views from every room and pool, and lots of room for
expansion, Enjoy sunsets over St. Thomas, Deeded rights to beach and
dinghy landing. Arecentrefurbishing has just been completed. $3,795,000
"Seashore Allure" New waterfront condos set a higher bar for quality in
St. John condos. Just completed, Ihese are a "must see" wilh such features
as Iravertine tiles, Brazlian hardwood floors, stone accent walls, graceful
arches framing water views, solid mahogany doors, custom cabinets, spa jet
tubs. high end appliances, & Brzilan clay roof tiles. The sounds of the surf.
trade wind breezes and beachfront location make these condos a tropical
dream come true. $1.97M to S3.39M
"Southern Cross" This traditional Danish style stone home offers the
utmost privacy yet only a ten minute drive to Cruz Bay Town. Features
include large covered porches, beautiful custom mahogany cabinets and
built-in bar, exposed concrete beams and window sills and tile floors all
combine to create an elegant atmosphere. Cooling breezes and water views
eion an almost level lot with room to add a pool or spa. S1.395M
"Palm Terrace Villas"- Four of the most spacious condos to be found on St.
John. Completed in 2005 with beautiful views, generous balconies, common
pool, wal to town & Frank Bay Beach. The 3 bedroom penthouse units are
Over 2100 sq.ft All feature Ig kitchens, granite countertops. stainless
appliances, private laundry &ample storage. $749,500 to $1,299,000
"Carolina Cottage" Really cute 2 bedroom house with nice water views
of Coral Harbor and Hurricane Hole, Faces east to catch the cooling trade
wind breezes & the driveway is paved for easy access. Fully furnished and
a nice location close to Coral Bay with large deck and room to expand or
add a pool. Space below could be converted to another bedroom. $575,000
Shopping Center Investment opportunity in this brand new retailoffice building! Built in 2009.
Beautiful architecture with stone work, columns and arches. Ample on-site parking and back up
generator. Great tenancy in place with supermarket bank branch, day spa, and more! Ideally located
on the south shore road walking distance to the Westin Resort & Guinea Grove Apartments.
Great Deals: Seagrape Hill $95,000 & $99,000, Calabash Boom lot with fantastic water views
for just $149,000, Bethany building lot over looking the Weslin just reduced to $99000. Little
Plantation- 7 acre development with subdivison permit, great BVI views and road cut only S1.9M

Ask about "MUST SELL
BEST BUY" SITUATIONS
Call or email today for info!

OWN A MONTH (OR MORE) in
a 3 or 4 bedroom luxury home.
Magnificent views and sunsets
from 3 homes with all amenities,
pools w/waterfalls and spas.
Deeded 1 month ownerships
from $69,000.
WESTINRESORTTIMESHARES:
Own a week, a month, or more &
enjoy all the resort amenities!
Most unit sizes and weeks
available. Priced from $5,000.

Celebrates Earth Day
St. John residents celebrated Earth Day with cleanups above and below the water and
with a beach party. Caneel Bay's Patagon Dive Center hosted an underwater cleanup
at the resort, above. Rotary Club of St. John members removed trash from Jumbie
Beach, above right. Reef Fest at Hawksnest Beach drew adults, students and Senator
Patrick Simeon Sprauve, below right and below.